Recent Search Assignment ​– Lessons Learned…..

A recent search for a site based senior ER/HR Advisor has been an interesting process. Only very few senior candidates are interested in FIFO HR opportunities these days as many are at the stage in their career where a move back to Perth and a corporate role is more appealing. Having identified a suitable candidate, the process was going smoothly until we got to the pointy end and were waiting for a contract to come through. It took over a week from verbal offer for a written contract to be emailed through to the candidate, there were then problems logging into the employers recruitment portal and spelling mistakes all over the document when it did finally appear. The end result was that the candidate got nervous waiting and lost faith in the client, in the meantime another offer had been presented to him which he accepted. The candidates feedback about the process was that he was fully engaged and committed to the business and the role until everything went very quiet in the last crucial week, we definitely lost him in the time it took to get a written offer out. Even had there not been another offer on the table, the candidate would have been hesitant about accepting the position.

The lesson here is that it is crucial to manage the process with the candidate right up until the offer is signed and indeed until the person has started in the job. Communication is paramount, if there are going to be delays, phone calls are essential to keep the candidate in the loop.